


Luminescence

by Sheshaventures



Series: Glow in the Dark [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Ascians (Final Fantasy XIV), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Spoilers, M/M, Other, POV Second Person, Patch 5.0: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Sex, Soul Sex, The Crystal Exarch and the Scions show up briefly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 10:27:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19828234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sheshaventures/pseuds/Sheshaventures
Summary: What if, for a brief moment longer, Emet-Selch saw something in the Warrior of Light that stayed his hand? What if violence were not the only way to rid the Warrior of the corrupting Aether they had absorbed?What if there was another way?The Darkness to your Light indeed.





	Luminescence

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for the end of 5.0 
> 
> This started as an idea for nothing but a short smut fic and turned into this. I have nothing to say for myself.

It still hurt. The Light surged beneath your skin like the barely contained corruption it was, and even Ardbert's joining with you could not dull the pain or the other effects. It choked you, embedding itself into all of your senses.

The smell of sharp ozone and cloying sugar filled your nose as you took a breath, pushing yourself - finally, _finally_ \- to your feet. From a distance you could hear Ardbert, your lips moving to give voice to his final words, final thoughts in tandem with yours before his presence fully diffused within you. It was but a patch on the roiling energies inside, and you were fully expecting it to fail. To burst forth at any moment.

And yet.

Despite the light lashing within you, pain unlike any you've felt before, you raise your eyes to meet the man who you came to this remote place to find. Emet-Selch still faces you, arm shielding his eyes from the burst of brilliance your joining with Ardbert had caused.

You can see the moment that he lays his own eyes on you, but he does not react the way you expected. "It can't be..." the words barely reach your ears, and he shakes his head as if to dispel a vision, stance as aggressive as ever.

But when he looks at you again after the light around you dissipates, the aggression bleeds away from his body language. You can see his swallow from where you stand, a hard blink as he attempts to rally himself. "You can't...no, it must be my imagination," he shakes his head again, "You can't hope to stand against me by yourself."

"They do not stand alone!" a familiar voice rings out from behind Emet-Selch. As you take a step forward you see the Crystal Exarch, face set, barely holding himself up by the grip on his staff. The ringing in your ears as the Light within continues to lurch prevents you from hearing whatever words the Exarch and Emet-Selch exchange, but a strange feeling flutters in your chest as you watch the Exarch move to cast a spell.

You find yourself not wanting whatever it was he aims to do. Some nagging feeling in the back of your mind, a ghost of a memory you cannot grasp, is calling out to not let that happen. And so you respond, catching the Exarch's eye and raising a simple hand for him to cease.

Confused, he lowers his staff, gaze following yours as you look back to your other fallen companions. Meeting his gaze again, he seems to understand, and it takes but a moment for both himself and the rest of the Scions to be whisked away.

Emet-Selch stares. "It ends this day. One way or another, it ends," the words seem wrong as they slip from your lips, and you take a few more steps towards the Ascian. Whatever words he says are lost to you, overcome by the infernal Light and the now almost screaming memory.

Taking a few steps of his own towards you, Emet-Selch passes his hand over his face. The red brand shocks you, though you had seen it before. "I am Hades," close enough now to finally hear him, his words wash over you like ice water. Unbidden clarity comes to mind, red brand staring you in the face and sliding into something else. A red mask that is as foreign as it is familiar, words spoken now and eons ago. The feeling in the back of your mind peaks as Hades raises a hand, dark aether beginning to swell and billow around him.

"I know," the words are forceful and you spit them out almost without thinking, "I know who you are."

The billowing aether stagnates and stops.

The red mask stays where he summoned it over his face, but even through its glow you can see the stark surprise there. His arm is still outstretched where he was summoning his strength, but frozen. "What did you say to me?" the smug condescension is gone entirely from his tone, words almost faint.

"I know who you are, Hades," the feeling in the back of your head almost sings, alarm abated for the moment. You are warm, hot, far too hot. Hotter than even the desert in Thanalan with the Light raging in your core. "Not...vividly. But I know you," a flash of rightness comes with those words, and he looks at you with what can only be hope in its last dying gasp.

"Could you really be?" his voice trails off and he lowers his arm, taking a step forward. He speaks a name that you recognize but cannot hear, the tinkling of crystal cracking in your ears instead of the sound. But you smile regardless, reaching out a hand to him. You're not sure entirely why you're doing this, but the feeling that followed you through Amaurot thrums in your very soul. This is right, and the idea of fighting - let alone killing - the man in front of you sends a pang of pain through you moreso even than the energies inside of you.

The red mask dissipates finally, last vestiges of shadow fading even as the Light inside of you roars again to the forefront. It threatens the edges of your vision and rips through your middle, but you do not yield. Your eyes meet his and you stand tall, "You said that if I could contain the light, that you'd genuinely be interested in me." He takes a final step towards you, within your reach, and sets his hand in your palm. The pain must be showing in your face, but still you smile brightly at him, "Does this satisfy your standards?"

He grasps your hand and wrist and tugs you closer to him, gaze now raking over your face. Golden eyes scour you, looking for lies, for doubt, for things you can only guess. The flicker of hope grows deep within, and the set of his shoulders droops further in what can only be relief.

"Please say it again," he leans closer now, eyes intense as they bore into your own. "Let me know this isn't a vision by a man broken by anguish," the words are soft, spoken directly into your personal space. Somehow, you cannot find it within you to mind very much.

"Hades. I do not remember how we lived, how we spent our days, or...a thousand other trivial things," and it was true. Instinct drives you on, as it had always driven you on in the past. "But I know that I know you. I can feel that I knew you. The details are gone, but the important parts are there, Hades," you grin at him as you repeat his name. "You never did let anything go-" and that was the thing to break the trance the man seemed to be in. With a strangled sound he pulled you into his chest, crushing you to him almost harder than you could stand.

The shadowy aether from before rose around his body once again, but passively instead of on the offensive. It curls about both of your forms, and you feel the presence of it - his true presence - against yours. Returning the embrace, neither of you say anything for long minutes. You, taking comfort in something you can barely understand, reveling in that for just _this once_ you could be other than the warrior - the weapon - that many see you as. That you did not have to kill this man. And though you cannot even begin to fathom his thoughts, the presence gently caressing yours is practically radiating broken joy and shattered loneliness.

Easing back just slightly in his hold, you move to reach a hand to touch his face. Before you can make contact a shooting pain strikes you in your midsection, the Light rearing its' head once more. Still, you contain it. But still, it hurts. Closing your eyes against the pain, you wrestle with it within yourself.

"There is hope yet, then," he speaks softly, "You succeed despite your form." Distantly you feel one of his hands move to place yours against his face, and again he speaks the name that is interrupted by the chiming of crystal. "- but that doesn't mean you must suffer in the meantime."

You open your eyes to see his golden gaze staring at you once again. Intense, but soft. The Light pulses in your chest again, still searing, and you lean on him just a little more heavily in support. The places where his aether brush against you are cooled ever so slightly, and you can't help but sigh at the faint relief.

Your sound is met with a chuckle - a hint of mischief. You feel his clever fingers stroke the sensitive skin of your neck, a cool balm through the heat permeating your body. That draws a louder sound of relief from you, and you give voice to a questioning sound. "It looks like we're not quite as opposed as we'd thought," the sly tone - the one you're familiar with from your travels here on the First - is back. His presence coalesces on your throat as you feel his lips skim the surface. The gasp it draws from you is almost as sharp as the ease of Light in that spot. "Perhaps we may even be," he trails off, teeth replacing lips on your throat, "complementary."

You didn't know what you were doing - hells, you almost _never_ do - but you reach out and try to meet him as he meets you. Not with arms, but with your very being. By the hitch in his breath you must meet with some sort of success, and the feeling of him washes over you anew. Familiar, so godsdamned familiar that you almost can't stand it.

The Light still boils inside of you, the emotions from what must have been _you_ eons ago still raise themselves and flood your soul, and the heat of your body is almost too much to bear.

But still Hades holds you.

Gloved fingers gently grasp your chin, tilting just so you can actually feel the whisper of that name again on your lips as he breathes it. And it is you who closes the gap.

A flash of memory. Lips slotting together, parting to allow your tongues to languidly explore - reexplore? - one another. His presence filtered into you through that point of contact, and you felt yours do the same to him in turn. Were you as warm to him as he was cool to you? Yet instead of the heat overtaking the chill, or otherwise, they meet and blend into comfort.

Your hands creep up to bury themselves into silken strands, and his hands grasp your shoulders. When the two of you draw back from one another, you can see the surprise that you feel etched on his face.

"I think that we should explore this discovery," you blurt out. The grin and laugh it draws from him bring to mind peaceful days, another flash of a bygone memory.

"I think you may be on to something," he drolls, "But perhaps not here." The familiar sound of fingers snapping catches you off guard, and suddenly your surroundings change. A brief glance around shows a window with the conjured city of Amaurot sprawling out in front of you, but you're unable to take in the sights for long before Hades' hands are on you again, distracting you.

He guides you to what looks like a supremely comfortable bed and presses his hands on your shoulders. You go willingly, sitting down and looking up at him. There is still a hint of sadness in his eyes as he looks down at you, taking in the visage of you in these specific surroundings. "Hades, I'm here," you feel like you must reassure him, "I really am."

That gets him in motion again and he leans down to press his hands against the mattress, caging you in. "How far do you want to chase this experiment, then, my dear?" the words tease, but are not spoken in jest.

"As far as we can manage, Hades," you repeat his name yet again. Each time you do, now, a look flashes in his eyes. You're not sure what it means, but you find that you want to see it as much as possible. "I want this."

"Then I suppose we're not in need of these any longer," he raises a hand to snap once again, and you find both him and yourself completely bare. A quick glance behind him sees your clothing and armor laid out on a table, and you move your gaze back in time to see those golden eyes of his roaming over your form. Well, if he's going to indulge himself, you may as well.

Reaching out a hand, you stroke it down the planes of his chest, eyes taking in his physical form. As you do, the telltale black and violet aether begins to coalesce around the two of you again. You explore with your hands, and he explores with his very self.

The heat that's rising in you now has nothing to do with the Light.

When you finally drag your eyes back up to meet his, you find him smirking at you. "I take it that you find this form agreeable to your tastes?" the smugness of his tone would irritate you in any other situation, so you take your revenge by pressing forth with your presence as you did before.

His smirk wavers as you see him suppress a shudder, fully visible now without that ridiculous coat of his in the way. "You could say that," you tease, "but surely you're not all talk." You can feel him, the shadow of him in your senses, and you move to wrap yourself around him even as he does you. His breath hitches.

"Do you even know what you're doing?" he tries to chide. Though the effect is ruined by the shakiness in his voice. "Plowing forward without nary a thought, Warrior. Surely you know of finesse?" You only raise a brow at him in response, and he heaves an overly theatric sigh. "Must I do everything?" The mocking in his words is betrayed by the warmth and fondness you hear there.

You nudge him with your leg as you lean back on your elbows, unbalancing him enough to force him onto the bed with a knee between your legs. He looms over you, eyes sparking with interest, and you cheekily grin up at him, "Guide me, then, oh Emet-Selch." The quip gets an immediate response, his eyes rolling at you as the smirk returns to his face.

"Unfortunately for you, brute force isn't going to get you what you want here," he takes a single finger and runs it down your front, from collar down to your abdomen. You shiver at both the contact and the blooming cold from his touch.

Shifting himself fully onto the bed, he maneuvers you into an admittedly more comfortable position. The mattress is as comfortable as it looked, the pillows soft, but your attention is on the man now straddling your thighs. He leans forward, bringing a hand to caress your face lightly. The shadow around him swells, wrapping you both in a comforting cocoon of his being. Were yours visible to you, it must be doing something similar - albeit more inexperienced.

"You need to be gentle at first. It's a caress," he leans down to ghost lips over your collarbone and your breath hitches. "You need to ask for it, not force your way," his presence strokes yours and you relax almost imperceptibly. "If you both truly want what we wish, well," he lowers himself onto you fully and trails off. This contact feels like nothing you've experienced before. The mingling of temperatures, inside and outside, is heightened. You cannot but let slip a moan, and he catches it from your mouth with his tongue as he kisses you again.

The feeling of being pressed against him in more than one way drives an instinct you didn't even know you had. His aether seeks yours, foreign and different as it is from your own, and for the first time you let it in. Perhaps before you would never have let an Ascian near you in this manner, but never before did you have this memory guiding you.

Immediately your senses sharpen and you can hear the pounding of both of your hearts, feel the blood rushing through your body.

And you can feel him.

From the depths of an agony eons old rises the sharp peak of joy. Joy and boundless, endless relief. The despair does not fade - neither of you think it ever truly can - but fonder emotions bubble to the surface. Love at the forefront, a love both new and old. The emotions draw you both closer to one another, and you both allow it. A vortex of light and darkness, but this time, neither wishes to snuff out the other.

You can feel him, feel everything about him - and you're certain he can feel you. Never before did you know you were missing something, but now you have found it. That instinct tickles the back of your mind again - the one you do not know the source to. But Hades does. Shock rushes through him, stark and piercing as he chases it down to the depths of your very soul. You do not know what he finds there, but he coils around you, pooling in the center of your being as a maelstrom rips through you.

Loneliness. Agony. Relief. Fear. Hesitation. Disbelief. Fragility. Hope. NotPossible. CannotBeSoLucky. HowCanThisBeYouBeautifulCreatureYou’reTruly _Back_. Love. Love _love **lovelovelove-**_

There's a wetness on your face, tears that do not belong to you. You open your eyes and smile at him, bringing fingers to brush them away. The Angel of Truth spoke no lies, it looks like Ascians are indeed capable of crying.

Your eyes meet - his rapidly drying, now - as your essences mingle, on the precipice of something else. But you do not tip over that edge - you're unsure if you can yet, and he does not drag you there. Despite the soothing feel of him beginning to permeate through your innermost self, the Light within you stabs forth once more. You both see and feel him wince. "Ah, so that is what you've been holding on to all this time," the words are almost dry.

"It is inconvenient, but we were getting to that," being so connected as to feel what one another feels, you still chose words to serve the finer details. **_Amusement._** "Will you be alright, this close?" worry colors your tone, but it is met with **_reassurance, strength, resolve._**

"Why, you forget that I'm a sorcerer of Eld. It would be fairly pitiful on my part were I unable to withstand a little Light," he leans down to kiss your forehead, then your lips almost sweetly. **_Fondness._**

Chaste as the kiss was, it stokes the fires within you. Surging upwards, you sit up and force him up and backwards. **_Surprise._** Face to face, you feel your body respond to your desires and you duck your head to begin lavishing attention to his front. Trailing nips, licking and kissing your way across his chest. **_Desire._** His breath catches with the attention when you take a nipple into your mouth. "Then perhaps you should put your mouth where your boasts are," you speak hotly against his skin.

His hands, which were idly roaming your body, still. **_Mirth, heat._** "Far be it from me to deny your wishes, then," and those clever hands slide themselves down to your arousal. The heat of both the Light and your body clashes deliciously with the coolness of his touch, and you moan at the contact. His fingers explore expertly, learning your body as you pant and lean your face against his shoulder.

Not to be outdone, you begin to explore him on your own, taking him into your hand and giving a few experimental strokes. **_Pleasure, lust, want._** You grin against his skin as you give as good as you get, losing yourselves in the feedback loop that is your connection.

It's when you give a firmer stroke than before, thumbing the tip of him **_desire, heat, lust, want, resolve,_** that he growls, "I think it's time we took this a step further." You complain about the loss of contact as he takes his hands away, but give a breathless laugh as he all but throws you back down into the mattress.

"I'm inclined to agree," you say breathlessly. He chuckles darkly at your words, snapping his fingers to summon a small bottle. You can't help but laugh at the convenience, but that fades into anticipation as you watch him slick up his fingers with the contents.

Hades stretches out next to you, against you, gaze all but burning as you stare at his fingers. "Does the Warrior want this, then?" that false mocking returned to his voice. **_Anticipation._** But you know better. He knows that you know better.

You play along regardless.

"You know I want you, Hades," and you can feel that look as it shoots across his face again. **_Disbelief, gratitude, love._** You spread your legs slightly wider for him to make your point.

Golden eyes are molten as they stare, and he finally - _finally_ \- moves his hands to your entrance. Blessedly, he for once does not tease, circling the outside in an expert manner. The first finger that enters you does so with minimal resistance, and you let out a sigh at the feeling. He strokes you and explores, but it isn't long before a second and third finger follow. The burn of the stretch feels fantastic, and you moan your gratitude. "Look how you come apart for me," he whispers, fucking you open on his fingers. "But I wonder if I-" you moan sharply as he finds the most sensitive places inside of you. **_Satisfaction._** "There we are. How about a repeat performance." True to his word, he finds that place again and again, the heat driving you higher as you buck up into his hand.

As your pleasure grows, so do does the bubbling of the Light within you. It becomes almost too much even with Hades' cool presence next to you, his essence inside of yours. **_Concern, defiance._** But you bring your own strength to bear and strangle it into submission, body still hot and shaking with want. "Hades," you can't keep the tremble out of your voice, and the flash of emotions you feel from him are too rapid for you to understand. "Hades, please, please no more teasing," you pant, "I'm ready."

His fingers retreat and you can't help but whimper at the emptiness they leave behind. He does not leave you long, sliding on top of you, nudging your legs apart just that much further and meeting your gaze one last time. You both see and feel the question in his eyes, and in response reach out a hand to brush through the white streak in his hair and cup it against his cheek. **_Love._** Taking a moment to slick himself up, he tosses the bottle to the side and neither of you pay mind to the way it clatters across the floor. His eyes never leave yours as he guides himself to your entrance.

It should not surprise you that the black and violet aether thickens around you, but it does. Hades practically radiates it as he begins to slide inside of you slowly, shading everything else in the room but the two of you. As thoroughly as he prepared you it does not take long for him to bottom out inside. Eyes shining in the Darkness, he takes your free hand in his, entwining your fingers. **_Relief. Completion._**

Both of you remain still for a time, relishing in the connection. The feeling of joining. Your essences mesh further, slipping, but do not tip over into the unknown just yet. Eventually, you are the one to move first, arching your back to let him slip just that small bit further inside. You feel his pleasure spike and without prompting he pulls out for a few experimental thrusts. Never before has intimacy felt like this for you, never before were you so entwined with another.

As if catching that thought, you see him open his mouth to no doubt tease you, but you don't give him the chance. You shut him up by grabbing him by the shoulders and yanking him down, claiming his mouth for your own even as he takes you again and again. The rhythm comes easy for you both - able to feel one another's pleasure as you are. Clawing down his back, you swallow his moans as he did yours, giving him as good as he gives you. You're not one to be outdone, after all, ever rising to the challenge.

The heat continues to pool within you.

It becomes hard to tell whose moans belong to who, which hitching gasps and groans came from which mouth as you both chase the feedback loop of pleasure relentlessly. As if wanting to be even closer, Hades shifts, pulling you upright and into his sitting lap as you both hold one another close - still entwined. The fervor of motion and thrusts do not slow, merely the violence, as you rock each other back and forth.

The heat in you that is not pleasure reaches a fever pitch.

In the Darkness around you there is suddenly Light, emitting from your chest - your very soul - as the burning spikes ever higher. It overwhelms you entirely, as if your body is going to melt from within. The shard of pain causes you to bite down on his shoulder, and he cries out that name again - the shattering sound of crystal burning it from your mind.

His movements become more frantic, almost desperate. Darkness billowing and swirling around you, as if in defiance of the Light within. You clutch him closer, all instincts on high alert as the both of you head towards an end neither of you can see.

Sugar scent and ozone fills the air as you feel the Light rise inside of you. It rages, unceasing, and the Darkness comes down to meet it. The two of you, diametrically opposed in purpose and essence, forge on in the center of the chaos. You both hold the thrashing monster of these two forces between you, volcanic heat and icy chill, refusing to let the other be harmed. Something beyond either of you is happening, but you feel the instant that you decide to embrace it together.

The light fills you, searing, burning hot inside your chest. You let it. It fills you full to bursting, and you pull Hades' lips down to yours in a kiss that sears just as hot. Darkness fills him, stifling, cold, and he kisses you with the bite of frost. His presence wraps even closer around you just as he thrusts deeply one last time. The Light roils, the Darkness smothers, and together you fall over the peaked edge of pleasure.

Your senses go blank.

_______________________

Time passes.

_______________________

You come back to yourself feeling more comfortable than you have in quite a long time, since before you came to the First. There is a warmth at your back and the softness of the mattress under you, pillow perfectly cushioning your head. From the window you can see the city shrouded in the night from above the waves. The Light is gone.

At your rousing, you feel the soft caress of a question at the edges of your awareness. "Finally awake, hero?" the mockery is back in Hades' tone, though subdued. "I would have thought that it would take more than that to bring you to exhaustion, but I must have been mistaken."

"Please let me enjoy my post-orgasm bliss in peace, thank you," you mutter, to which he laughs. You can feel the vibrations through his body, and it brings to your attention the lack of chill that you feel. "You feel different!" you attempt to turn, but he holds you fast.

"On the contrary, Warrior, we feel the same," one hand lifts itself from you to gesture in front of you. "Well, as close to the same as we can be, considering your status as mortal and mine as distinctly not. You'll find that your little Light problem is taken care of. You're welcome, by the way," oh, how you roll your eyes at him.

But he isn't wrong. You feel warm and comfortable, all traces of the corrupted aether inside of you dispelled. But an alarming thought occurs to you, "If my Light is gone, what about-" he brings a finger to your lips, as if plucking the thought from your mind. For all you know he may have, considering how natural being joined had felt - you had entirely forgotten. **_Affection._**

"Do you really believe unformed Light would be _my_ undoing?" you can feel his humor at the idea. "No, unless you meant to harm me, it would not. I believe our previous activities give light to that answer," he yawns exaggeratedly, releasing his hold on you to stretch luxuriously. "No, I am merely tired. I feel as if I deserve quite the long rest after all that hard work you made me do." **_Fondness._**

You take the opportunity to turn, lifting yourself onto your elbows to kiss him on the corner of his mouth. "There, consider yourself thanked, Hades," you smile at the rapid flash of emotions again. He brings his hand to comb through your hair, bringing your mouth to his for a kiss, tongues dancing lazily. Humming in satisfaction, you pull away to smile at him. "Now, about this connection..." **_Amusement._**

"Ah, yes, I knew this question would happen. Don't worry, my dear, I have it quite handled. Once you're more experienced in this area perhaps I might teach you, but for now..." a look of concentration comes over his face as you feel his presence slip away from your own. The warm blanket of his being had been comforting, and you're sad to see it go. From the look in his eyes, he feels the same. Right before you separate entirely you feel one last pulse of **_love._**

It is blessedly silent inside of you now.

No Light cracking at the edges of your being, no external forces attempting to manipulate you. Blessed silence.

But you miss the feeling of him.

The silence, however, allows your brain to catch up to everything that happened recently. A sharp spark of alarm has you stiffen where you are. "My friends-"

"-Are safe. Your Exarch spirited them away, and I did not aim to cause their deaths," you practically slump onto his chest in your relief. "Doubtless they are all receiving care either from one another or from another of your allies," the sneer is back in his voice. That taunting he had carried with him before. Had you not known him so well, with your joining and with the memories driving you from within, perhaps you'd feel irritation.

Goodness knows that you did in the beginning.

He really can be an insufferable man.

Insufferableness aside, he cocks a brow as he looks down at you, expectant.

There is but one question left to ask, so you ask it, "Where do we go from here?"

The curve of his lips is smug, but pleased, "Ah, isn't that the question for the ages. You have managed to pique and maintain my interest in you, and I do believe that I offered the idea of us being allies. Though, at the time, that peace offering was quite spurned." He smirks at you as you cannot help but roll your eyes. "Yes, yes, things may obviously be different now. What with-"

"-My memories," you give an apologetic smile as he shoots you an annoyed look at your interruption. "My ability to do exactly what you asked of me, even if it took all the strength I had. But I think it's mostly the memories, those feelings, the flashes of a life that I haven't had this time. And that doesn't even begin to cover what just happened between the two of us."

"Darkness and Light coexisting in the same place, without one harming the other. Complementary instead of opposing forces. It does seem that you've brought new knowledge to light. My, my, you are a clever one," he strokes a hand down the side of your face, fingers moving to thread through your hair. "But you always were. Even if you don't remember that."

Something in you preens at the compliment.

He speaks again - you cannot hear him over the tinkling of crystal chimes - and looks at you thoughtfully. "I suppose we cannot escape our ultimate natures. I remain tempered by Him, and you persist as Her Champion. But allow me a small admission," you perk up, meeting his gaze curiously. "For the first time in ages, I feel that our current course may not be the only option available to us. That our goals, as I mentioned before, are not as incompatible as one may think. That perhaps, there may be hope." Gold eyes turn soft as they look at you, "You continue to surprise me, time and time again."

What else could you possibly do but kiss him on his smirking mouth? You do just that.

Eventually, you grow restless, though fatigue gnaws at the edges of your mind. Had you even slept since you arrived in the Tempest? The wonders of Amaurot, the trials you faced, everything seems poised to catch up and drown you all at once.

Hades holds you fast.

"Now, now, there is no need for panic or anything of the sort. If you must have us leave this comfortable arrangement to see your friends, so be it," he releases you and you waste no time in moving to sit up.

As you stand you realize that you ache all over, but it's a good ache. The inside of your chest feels a bit scraped raw. But it does not hurt. The last remnants of his Darkness are a balm, easing any pain even as it fades.

Replacing your clothing and armor takes you little time with how familiar you are with the process. Still, when you turn to sneak a glance back at Hades, he is already fully dressed. The smirk he sends you coupled with the raising of a brow has you sighing in exasperation.

"Hades, will you come with me?" you blurt the question out before you finish dressing yourself.

"And have your companions attempt to kill me on sight?" he sneers, "I think not."

"Best if I approach them first," you are quick to agree, "Explain things somehow."

"Considering the Light is gone from the land, they might just see reason this time. Of course, if it's you making the offer of peace between us, they may actually pause long enough to hear you out. We've both seen what happens when I'm making the talks for alliances," he pouts, frowning on the memory.

"Meet me in my quarters, then," a nagging feeling flares up in you once more. A flash of a distant time, the same words spoken to the same man. "In the Crystarium. I know that you can watch from the shadows as you will it, Hades, but meet me there?"

He approaches you slowly, taking his time to reach out and grab your chin. He runs a thumb over your bottom lip and leans in for a fond kiss. "Alright, little Warrior, you win. And as much as I loathe to say it, it's for the best if you call me by title only where ears may overhear. True names should stay private, wouldn't you agree-" and he says that word again, the one which again is blocked. "And there are ears everywhere, my dear."

You chew your lip for the briefest of moments in thought, "Here, then. Only here in Amaurot."

Surprise colors his features, "Of course. Now, then, hero, shall we be off?"

You nod briskly, "You first, I want to know that you are safe."

"Oh, dear Warrior, that's very noble of you. But how else will you make your grand entrance?" he steps back several paces and raises a hand.

"Emet-Selch, don't you dare-" but you don't get to finish before he snaps his fingers. The last glimpse of him you get before darkness swirls around you and blocks your vision is a look of fondness and burgeoning hope.

Abrupt as the travel was, your surroundings smoothly bleed into that of Lakeland. Your feet find purchase at the very gate of the Crystarium, and as you turn you hear several familiar voices calling out your name.

You smile to yourself as you turn, meeting your friends' calls with the bright lift of genuine happiness. They rush to you, exclamations of relief at your appearance - and to a one they appear unharmed. Beyond them stands the Crystal Exarch, hood still down to reveal his familiar face. You beam at him brightly, hoping to get your gratitude across with expressions alone. By his small smile, you believe you managed it.

Your thoughts turn to Emet-Selch. To Hades. A stern talking to was in order in your quarters tonight.

He really was insufferable, but you loved him anyway. In this life and the one from eons ago.

**Author's Note:**

> We doing this. We making this happen.


End file.
